Rock-weigher.



C. A. SEARING.

ROCK WEIGHER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1914.

1 1 79,46 Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- P n W I I l'l'oznu f C. A. SEARING.

ROCK WEIGHER1 APPLICATION F ILED JULY 25,1914. 1,179,461. Patented Apr. 18,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3;

0 Q G I O G Q a Hot," 01 6 THE COLUMBIA PLANoqRAPn CCL. WASHINGTON. D, c.

CHARLES A. SEARING, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROCK-WEIGHEIR.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed July 25, 1914. Serial No. 853,244.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Crnmnns A. BEARING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rock-Weighers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to produce a device for accurately weighing the charge of material to be delivered so that the same quantity will be obtained upon each charge.

While the invention is primarily intended for weighing rock, it is the intention to employ it in any connection where each charge is to be the same as to quantity.

WVith other objects in view, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and wherein like numerals of reference designate corre sponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation, and Figs. 2 and 3 are views in side elevation showing the invention in different positions with parts broken away.

The crushed rock, or other material to be weighed, is fed through a chute 2, in the present showing being a V-shaped or double chute, to the spout 3. The lower end of this chute-spout is provided with gates 4, 5, the latter folding into the former, and said gates being respectively pivoted at 4 and 5 to parallel L-bars 6 and 7 resting upon and secured suitably to L-bars 8. The bars 6, 7 and 8 make up a rectangular frame which is suitably supported against movement by a V-shaped metal frame 9 depending from a ceiling, or otherwise supported.

Each gate 4,5 is clam-shell shaped and is provided with a lever extension 10 projecting outwardly therefrom and alined with the upperedge of the gate. When the gates are closed, these lever extensions 10 aline with each other as in Fig. 2. Upon their outer ends, these lever extensions 10 are equipped with channel bars 12, it being understood that there is a lever extenslon 10 at each side of each gate and that these bars 12 connect together these pairs of lever extensions 10 respectively of each gate. The gates are braced by straps 14 which extend from said bars 12 to the gates.

Between the V-shaped framing members extend L bars 15 provided with depending cars 16 having a pivot member 17 upon which hang weight levers 18 and trip levers 19, said levers 18 having adjustable weights 20. For cotiperating with the trip levers 19, the channels bars 12 are provided with lock fingers 21 which engage similar fingers 22 on the trip levers 19, the latter also having their ends bent at right angles and engaging the weight levers 18 on their inner faces. Both sets of fingers 21 and 22 are-beveled so that as the former are elevated, they slip over the latter. While the weight levers 18 normally tend to hold the trip levers 19 in their locking positions, it will be observed that, being separate, the trip levers 19 may swing in one direction independently of the weight levers, and that their ends which. are bent really constitute weights which, in their action are supplemented by the weight levers 18.

Centrally of the ends of the channel bars 12, are depending pressure rods 24 which pass through said bars 12 and have nuts or shoulders 25 on opposite sides of the latter. The lower ends of these pressure rods 24 pass through flanges 25 of a receiving hopper 26 in a manner to support the latter from two opposite sides thereof. Coil springs 27 are arranged on the ends of the pressure rods 24 beneath the flanges 25 and are supported at their lower ends by nuts 28 adjustable on said rods 24. On the pressure rods 24 above the said flanges 25 are shoulders or nuts 29 whereby upward movement of the receiving hopper 26 restores said pressure rods and tripping fingers 21 and 22 to their normal of Fig. 3 positions. Opposite sides of the receiving hopper 26 are provided with upwardly extending buffer rods 30 which pass through the said L-shaped bars 6 and are pro-vided with bufli'er springs 31 adjustable by nuts 32 threaded on said rods 30, said springs absorbing the shock incident to the return of the receiving honer from its lowered to its raised position. as will be later described. The bottom 33 of the hopper 26 is inclined to discharge the material therefrom by gravity, and at the lower end of this inclined bottom, a door 34 is provided, the same being hinged along its upper ends to the front 35 of the hopper in a manner to swing out wardly under the pressure of the outflowing material. The lower edge of this door 34 has along it an inverted L-bar 36, with its horizontal fiange extending outwardly above the bottom edge of the door at right angles to said door.

Within the channel of this bar 36, when the door is closed, extends a locking-bail 37, the ends 33 of which are accommodated in cut-out portions 39 in the vertical flange of the L-bar 36. These ends 38 are journaled in bearing brackets 40 dependingfrom the receiving hopper 26 and the outer ends or the locking-bail 37 have weight lever extensions 41 parallel with the sides of the hopper 26 and carrying adjustable weights 42. From the pivotal point of the locking bail, the locking portion does not extend exactly in alinement with the weight portion, but slightly oil from a straight line at an angle. When the How of the material causes the door 34 to open full, and the locking-bail has been swung to the position of Fig. 2, an adjustable door stop 43 on said weight lever extension engages the portion of the vertical flange 36 which extends beyond the side of the hopper, though obviously a stop 43 may be used at each end of the door 34 on both of said weight lever extensions 41. In this manner, the hopper door is held full open until the locking bail has been returned to its locking position as in Fig. 3 to permit any sticking material to be ejected other than by gravity to completely empty the hopper of each charge. Any means may be provided suitable for throwing the locking-bail 37 from one position to the other, and by way of example, a hand pull cord 44 attached to the weight lever 41 is passed through an eye 45 directly above the pivotal bracket bearing 40 for said bail 37, said eye being carried by a bracket 46 afiixed to the framing 9. After the pull of the cord 44 draws the weight slightly over dead center, its fall completes movement in either direction.

Between brackets 50 on the lower ends of the framing 9 at each side of the hopper, is pivoted at 51 a locking lever 52. These levers have hook-shaped upper ends 53 which extend between parallel vertical guide bars 54, forming a part of the framing 9, and when the hopper is in its lowermost position, engage over the upper ends of guide flanges 55 which slide between the said guide bars 54 to direct the movement of the hopper. The lower ends of the locking levers 52 are bent inwardly toward the hopper as at 56 to permit swinging of th said weight lever extension 41 of the locking bail 37. When the hopper 26 has been entirely empr tied and the said weight levers 41 returned to the position shown in Fig. 3, said levers 41 engage with outwardly bent end portions 57 of the locking levers to release the hooked ends 53 from engagement with the hopper guides 55 and permit return of the hopper to its elevated position under the action of the counterweights 60 and cables 61, which latter extend through pulleys 62 and attach to hooks 63011 the hopper.

' In operation, the hopper is filled until the weight of the material balances that of the counterweights 60. The filling continues until the overbalancing weight causes the hopper 26 to move downwardly to compress the springs 27 su'l'liciently to throw the trip weights 20 and thereby release the engagement between the trip fingers 21 and 22. It will be understood that at no time is the weight of the hopper 26 supported by the springs 27. Upon tripping of these fingers, the springs 27 become immediately free to expand and in so doing cause the gates 4 and 5 to close rapidly. The adjustment is such that springs 27 are always in compression when the gates 4 and 5 are closed, thus allowing for variations in the cut-ofi due to particles of stone wedging between the gates, and at the same time holding the gates tightly in closed position. The hopper 26 always settles to the same point so that hooks 53 will engage to hold the hop per in its lowered position. The whole operation, so far as the hopper 26 is concerned, is a gradual settling due to overbalancing the counterweights 60, while the movement of the gates is sharp and decisive owing to the trip arrangement.

The hooks 53 hold the hopper lowered until the material has been discharged from the hopper, this being accomplished by the operator throwing the locking bail 37 to the position shown in Fig. 2, permitting the material to open the door, and causing the door to be held open by the stop 43 until the operator again throws the weight levers 41 to normal or Fig. 3 position. lVhen in its said normal position, the lock bail 37 will be in such position that the gate 34 of the hopper is always looked before the gates 4 and 5 are opened so there is positive assurance that the rock cannot run into the hopper and out at the bottom unless the operator throws the lock bail for that purpose after the gates 4 and 5 are closed. The throwing of the weight levers 41 to normal or Fig. 3 1

position, causes the same to strike the ends 57 of the locking levers 52, thereby releasing the hooked ends 53 from the hopper and permitting elevation thereby by the cords 61 and counterweight 60. As the hopper returns to its elevated position, the flanges 25 engaging the shoulders 29, raise the pressure rods 24, thereby swinging upwardly the channel bars 12 and opening the gates As the channel bars 12 move upwardly, their fingers 21 pass over the fingers 22, swinging only the trip levers 19 without disturbing the weight levers 18. After the fingers 21. 22 have tripped over, further upward movement of the hopper is prevented by the buffer springs 31 engaging the frame bars 6.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a machine of the character described, a vertically movable hopper, means to control the supply of material to the same, a normally inclined rod connected with the means and extending upon one side of the hopper, and an element attached to the hopper to travel therewith and slidably engaging the inclined rod to shift the same.

2. In a machine of the character described, a vertically movable hopper, a chute to supply material to the same, pivoted gates arranged adjacent the outlet end of the chute, swinging levers to move the gates, normally inclined rods connected with the levers and arranged upon opposite sides of the hopper, and apertured elements secured to the hopper and receiving the rods therein.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a vertically movable hopper, a chute to supply material to the same, means to control the passage of material from the chute, a swinging lever to operate the means, a trip connected with the lever, a pendent structure having a trip to cooperate with the firstnamed trip, a normally inclined rod connected with the lever to move the same and arranged upon one side of the hopper, an apertured element carried by the hopper and receiving the rod, and a spring carried by the rod to engage the aperturedelement.

4. In a device of the character described, a vertically movable hopper, means to control the supply of material to the same, a member connected to the control means for operating the same, a detent resisting operation of the control means, and yielding means on said member adapted to be compressed by the hopper to trip said detent and cause closing of the control means.

5. In a device of the character described, a vertically movable hopper, means to control the supply of material to the same, a member connected to the control means for operating the same, a detent resisting operation of the control means, and yieldable means on said member adapted to be compressed by the hopper to trip said detent and cause closing of the control means and to expand upon tripping of the detent to hasten closing of the control means.

6. In a device of the character described, a vertically movable hopper, a feed device, a normally open closure therefor, a detent resisting closing of the closure, connection between the hopper and closure whereby the detent will be tripped and the closure closed upon a predetermined amount of material being supplied to the hopper, said connection including yielding means to cause has tening of the closing of the closure.

7 In a device of the character described, a feed chute, a closure therefor, a vertically movable hopper counterbalanced to move downwardly under predetermined weight of material fed thereto, a spring on the closure adapted to be placed under stress by the hopper upon its descent, a detent holding the closure against movement until the spring has been placed under desired stress, said spring upon release of the closure by the detent acting to quickly close the closure to prevent further feed of material.

8. In a device of the character described, 1

a feed chute, a closure therefor, a vertically movable hopper counterbalanced to move downwardly under predetermined weight of material fed thereto, a spring on the closure adapted to be placed under stress by the hopper upon its descent, a detent holding the closure against movement until the spring has been placed under desired stress, said spring upon release of the closure by the detent acting to quickly close the closure to prevent further feed of material, a member toward which the closure moves in closing, said spring constantly yieldingly forcing said closure toward said member after release by the detent. 9. In a device of the character described, a feed chute, a closure therefor, a vertically movable hopper counterbalanced to move downwardly under predetermined weight of material fed thereto, a spring on the closure adapted to be placed under stress by the hopper upon its descent, a detent holding the closure against movement until the spring has been placed under desired stress, said spring upon release of the closure by the detent acting to quickly close the, closure to prevent further feed of material, and means adapted to hold the hopper in its lowermost position with the'closure under the stress of the spring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. SEARING. Witnesses:

A. B. EWER, W. A. WALLACE.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or ratenu, Washington, D. G. 

